12/09/2025
3 Outdoor Practices That Supported Our Nervous Systems as a neurodivergent family 💜
If you had told me a few years ago we’d be wading into freezing cold water as a mother-and-son duo, standing barefoot in the rain and cooking meals under the open sky… I wouldn’t have been so sure.
We were just trying to survive big emotions at the time.
But here’s the truth: these three simple outdoor practices have been another tool in our toolbox to help us, fewer meltdowns, calmer transitions, more connection.
Baring in mind these activities are only possible because they are enjoyable and not seen as a demand.
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1. Cold Water Immersion 🥶🌊
Whether it’s a freezing loch swim, splashing our faces, or standing under a cold shower, the effect is the same:
• The chaos slows down.
• Breathing deepens.
• Meltdowns ease before they even begin.
Science calls it vagus nerve activation. We just call it coming home to ourselves.
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2. Barefoot Grounding 👣🌿
Shoes off, feet on the earth. Grass, mud, sand, even frost in winter. A few minutes a day and it’s like the whole body exhales.
Nature tells our nervous systems: you are safe, you belong here.
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3. Cooking Outside Together 🔥
Lighting a camp fire, cooking our dinner or just making a cup of tea on a gas burner, It slows everything down. Meltdowns are fewer when the whole day has been grounded in rhythm, nature and real connection.
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These three things have become our way back to calm. No big programs, no complicated steps just nature, cold water and the open sky 🌌
Whispering Soul Alchemy ©️
Safety Note: Please don’t try cold water immersion alone or without experienced guidance. Always start gently, with people who know what they’re doing, in safe conditions 💜